Vehicular camera apparatus

Abstract

In a vehicular camera apparatus, at least one imaging unit captures an image of a region located outside a vehicle, and a first housing configured to install the at least one imaging unit thereto. A housing assembly includes a second housing configured as a separate member from the first housing, and includes a vehicle attachment provided to the second housing and attached to a part of the vehicle. The housing assembly is configured to fixedly support the first housing between the part of the vehicle and the second housing while the vehicle attachment is attached to the part of the vehicle.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A vehicular camera apparatus comprising:
 at least one imaging unit configured to capture an image of a region located outside a vehicle; 
 a first housing configured to include the at least one imaging unit installed thereto; and 
 a housing assembly comprising:
 a second housing configured as a separate member from the first housing; and 
 a vehicle attachment provided to the second housing and attached to a part of the vehicle, 
 
 the housing assembly being configured to fixedly support the first housing between the part of the vehicle and the second housing while the vehicle attachment is attached to the part of the vehicle, 
 wherein:
 the vehicle attachment comprises:
 a first projection member projecting toward a front direction of the vehicle away from the first housing; and 
 a second projection member projecting toward a rear direction of the vehicle away from the first housing; 
 
 the second housing has a front end facing the front direction of the vehicle, and a rear end facing the rear direction of the vehicle; and 
 the first projecting member is attached to the front end of the second housing and the second projecting member is attached to the rear end of the second housing to thereby sandwich the first housing between the vehicle attachment and the second housing. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The vehicular camera apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the vehicle attachment comprises:
 a fastening member configured to fasten the second housing to the part of the vehicle, 
 
 the vehicular camera apparatus further comprising:
 a joint member configured to join the first housing and the second housing to each other, 
 
 wherein:
 the fastening member includes a first screw; and 
 the joint member includes a second screw threaded into at least one of the first housing and the second housing to thereby join the first housing and the second housing to each other. 
 
 
     
     
       3. The vehicular camera apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising a circuit board configured to perform control related to the at least one imaging unit, wherein the second screw is configured to join the first housing and the second housing to each other with the circuit board stored in between the first housing and the second housing. 
     
     
       4. The vehicular camera apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the housing assembly supports the first housing toward the part of the vehicle while the first housing is sandwiched between the part of the vehicle and the second housing. 
 
     
     
       5. The vehicular camera apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the vehicle attachment comprises a plurality of projection members projecting from the second housing; and 
 a part of the first housing is located between the projection members. 
 
     
     
       6. The vehicular camera apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the vehicle attachment comprises:
 at least one bolt; and 
 at least one projection member projecting from the second housing in at least one of a front direction, a rear direction, a right direction, and a left direction of the vehicle; 
 
 the at least one projection member comprises a hole formed therethrough, 
 the at least one bolt being threaded into the hole of the at least one projection member to thereby fasten the second housing to the part of the vehicle. 
 
     
     
       7. The vehicular camera apparatus according to  claim 6 , further comprising:
 at least one housing joint hole formed through the second housing; and 
 at least one housing joint screw configured to be penetrated through the at least one housing joint hole to join the first housing and the second housing, 
 wherein:
 the hole formed through the at least one projection member has a first diameter; and 
 the at least one housing joint hole has a second diameter, 
 the first diameter formed through the at least one projection member being larger than the second diameter of the at least one housing joint hole. 
 
 
     
     
       8. The vehicular camera apparatus according to  claim 6 ,
 the at least one projection member comprises at least a first projection member in the front direction of the vehicle, and at least a second projection member in the rear direction of the vehicle; 
 the second housing has a rear end, and a wall mounted on the rear end and extending along a height direction of the vehicle; 
 the second projection member projects from the wall in the rear direction; and 
 the second projection member is higher than the first projection member. 
 
     
     
       9. The vehicular camera apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one imaging unit comprises a first imaging unit and a second imaging unit; and 
 the first housing is configured to install each of the first and second imaging units to a predetermined position thereof such that the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit have a predetermined positional relationship therebetween. 
 
     
     
       10. The vehicular camera apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the vehicle attachment comprises a bracket; and 
 the housing assembly is configured to mount the first housing to the part of the vehicle through the bracket while the second housing is mounted to the bracket, and the bracket is attached to the part of the vehicle. 
 
     
     
       11. The vehicular camera apparatus according to  claim 10  wherein:
 the vehicle attachment further comprises at least one first projection member projecting from the second housing; 
 the bracket comprises a bracket body and at least one second projection member projecting from the bracket body, the at least one second projection member being aligned with the at least one first projection member; 
 the bracket body is directly attached to the part of the vehicle while the at least one second projection member is fastened to the at least one first projection member. 
 
     
     
       12. The vehicular camera apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the second housing is configured to cover a lower end of the at least one imaging unit; and 
 the lower end of the at least one imaging unit is located to be lower than a position of the vehicle attachment provided to the second housing in a height direction of the vehicle.